The Fugitive

Always wanted a Lambretta Jet 200 but never owned one! Both the old and new Vespa's look great IMHO. In your opinion, could the smaller wheel size of 'traditional' scooters have been a contributory factor?

Do you remember the news item about cremating fat people in the West? Apparently, molten fat leaks out of the cremators and floods the crematoria operators room. Absolutely a health and safety hazzard!

No need to pay in advance. Recent thread about economical cremations. Apparently, temple will cremate (only) for 10,000 baht. What puts the price up is the number of guests, number of days and amount of food and drink you provide beforehand. However, that's up to you (or your Mrs) as they say.

Who knows? Just been reading that cremation became legal in UK in 1884. Apparently, alkaline hydrolysis is presently legal in UK although, so far, has only been used for the purposes of testing if the resulting solution is safe to discharge into the public sewerage system.

Apparently, the very best use for a human body would be to make fertiliser pellets. It's done with animals. However, I understand that ethical reasons prevent humans being processed in this way.

Pleased that it's actually going ahead. Unfortunately, many of us won't be around to benefit.

Just checked their website. They have a Thailand customer service number and an email address; 02-118-8888 or [email protected] . If you're sure they can't/won't allow you to buy extra luggage weight via email then you should sign up for a free trial with Skype; 200 minutes of free calls to both mobiles and landlines in Thailand; https://www.skype.com/en/international-calls/Thailand

Bought all my air conditioners in-store at Big C. As they are next door to Global we naturally compare both. Big C have always included delivery and installation. Global delivery only, installation extra. On all occasions Big C, when asked, had units on special offer that weren't on display. When we offered to buy two at once we negotiated a further discount.

Absolutely! In most cases the remainder of the charred bone fragments go into an earthernware pot and buried at a strategic point in the grounds of the temple. We were keeping four cremation urns at home but have now purchased a column at our nearest temple where they now reside.

Try this; https://chulalongkornhospital.go.th/kcmh/en/body-and-organ-donations/

Exactly! My Thai Mrs will not agree to my bequeathing my corpse. She has two uncles who are monks which also influences how I will be despatched. She's taken out www.ThaiLife.com life insurance polices upon myself and another uncle. She also had one for her mother who died last year.

Thanks for this. It's going on all the time so the locals are well versed and like to be prepared. The biggest variable seems to be the duration and number of guests. A couple of friends of my Mrs were recently bereaved. Their alcoholic farang husbands left no money for their funerals and they had to find in the region of 150,000 baht each.

Christianity in action; 'He wasn't a member of our club so no you can't'. Buddhists don't operate like that.

They don't want anyone's organs if they're over 65 years either!

The church I saw was built by Chinese and is at; Lumlukka, Pathumthani. You are quite correct, ossuary cemeteries abound in South American countries where space is at a premium and people cannot afford to buy a grave. After the rent runs out the bones are removed and placed in wooden boxes on shelves in the cemetery storeroom. I once saw bones which had been put into a reused cardboard box awaiting collection from a cemetery office. Apparently, if you remove you can take your relative with you!

I understand! One Christian church I have seen doesn't have it's own crematorium but they do have an ossuary as an alternative to normal underground burials.

Good question with relevance for others too. By chance, not far from my home, I noticed a very small road sign pointing to 'Christian Church'. I haven't been down that road to take a look but I'm thinking that the church probably would have it's own graveyard?

Very good suggestion, many thanks. Have yet to own either a laptop or tablet that accepts a SIM card!

Thanks for this tip! Despite the dire warnings from others about using VOIP services, my virtual UK mobile number from 'VYKE' continues to serve me well. I use it for everything apart from Thai organisations that require a Thai mobile number.

Three recent instances in my Thai family (neice once, nephew twice) of moto accidents. In all three they were treated without argument under their 30 baht scheme. However, as Road Traffic Accidents are not covered by Thai National Health Service they later received bills for the cost of their treatment.

Can confirm how good DHL are. I sent a letter one Friday afternoon from UK. It was delivered and signed for early Monday morning.

If it's any consolation, I knew a couple of long-serving posties in the UK. They absolutely hated this!

That was difficult! Many of us would never have got there.

Terrible. Thieving and hoarding Royal Thai Mail staff at local level. And not resolved even yet as it continues.

'Government sector' includes water and electricity supply, schoolteachers, hospital workers and police. Agreed, at our local Amphur there is very little activity and they like to think up difficulties so that you'll go away. Don't see much activity at Regional Local Government office either!